24 (season 2)

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The second season of 24 was first broadcast from October 28, 2002 to May 20, 2003. The premiere episode is a full one hour running time and commercial-free.

The season's storyline starts and ends at 8:00 a.m..

Contents 1 Season overview 1.1 Major subplots 1.2 Summary 2 Unresolved Plots 3 Main cast 3.1 Trivia 3.2 Conspiracy Theories About Max 4 List of episodes 5 External links

[edit] Season overview

The second season (2002–2003) is set 18 months after the first season and is believed to take place in September 2003.

The season's main plot follows the work of now-President David Palmer and agent Jack Bauer to stop terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. Introduced into the situation is Kate Warner, a woman who ends up getting vital information related to CTU's mission. The date must be between 24 January 2003 and 31 March 2007 because in a conversation between Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce and President Palmer, Aaron tells he has been in the Secret Service since sometime in Ronald Reagan's second term (1984-1988) and Palmer replies that is nearly twenty years. Also, the Department of Homeland Security is already in existence during that time. Besides, Gary Matheson's (valid) credit card is said to expire in March 2007.

Like the first season, this season can also be essentially broken into two acts:

1. The first act involves CTU attempting to stop a Middle Eastern terrorist cell from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles.
2. In the second act, Jack, Kate, and CTU try to prevent a misdirected retaliatory strike from the U.S. by exposing the real masterminds who let the terrorists acquire the bomb.

[edit] Major subplots

• Kim is on the run, having rescued a child from her abusive father
• Kate Warner suspects that her sister's Middle Eastern fiancé is a terrorist
• CTU is blown up with C4 to divert resources away from the bomb and to cripple their ability to stop the bomb
• George Mason, Special Agent in Charge of CTU, is dying of radiation exposure
• Jack's personal anguish: worried about Kim; develops a heart condition after being tortured by terrorists
• President Palmer faces traitors in his own cabinet, who attempt to remove him from power to advance their own agenda
• The personal relationship between President Palmer and Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce begins to develop in the final hours of season two, even though both have met each other in season one.
• The personal relationship between Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler begins to develop throughout season two.

[edit] Summary

The season starts and ends at: 8:00 a.m. (LA time); the action begins in Seoul, South Korea (midnight, Seoul time).

The first fifteen hours deal with finding and disposing of the nuclear bomb. After the bomb is disposed of safely, the story focuses on the United States' retaliation against the people responsible for constructing it. A recorded conversation between a terrorist involved with the bomb and high-ranking officials of three Middle Eastern countries (which are never specified) is used to implicate those countries in the plot. However, Palmer is reluctant to order military action against them until he has absolute proof that the recording is genuine. Several members of his Cabinet then vote to relieve Palmer of his position under Section 4 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, believing his hesitation to be a sign of indecision and weakness. The Vice President then orders military strikes against the three countries to continue.

Jack, Michelle and Tony race to find the evidence that the recording is a forgery, and they eventually discover that a group of European and American businessmen fabricated it in order to wage war with the Middle East toward America so that they could benefit from rocketing oil prices that would result in the region. The strikes are called off and Palmer is reinstated as President after the proof is produced, thanks largely to his ex-wife Sherry Palmer (who risks her life). The eight cabinet members and vice president tender their resignations (Palmer does not accept them), and Palmer then tells his staff that he believes that the strictest evidence of hostile intent is required before waging war. The President does relieve his Chief of Staff, Mike Novick, who did not support him until the eleventh hour. The entire storyline has thinly veiled references to President Bush's foreign policy in the Middle East following the September 11th attacks and the "three Middle Eastern countries" could be a reference to the Axis of Evil.

Like the first season, the second ends with a surprise twist. The nuclear bomb situation is resolved without massive loss of life, but President Palmer collapses after being attacked with a biological weapon by Mandy, presumably in an assassination attempt. Viewers were forced to wait until the third season to see whether Palmer survived the attack. The sudden shift from a nuclear to biological threat also foreshadows the third season, which initially centers on the threat of an engineered virus being set loose on the general public.

[edit] Unresolved Plots

There were several large plot threads left unresolved from the second season into the third and fourth seasons, most notably the characters of "Max" and Trepkos, two men who seemed to be the driving force behind the day's events, as well as President Palmer's assassination attempt. How the assassination attempt ties into a war for oil is something that never quite fit together, and many have suspected that they may have had some larger and more sinister goal in mind. They were never seen again, and the only clue to their fate is a cryptic hint given by Wayne Palmer in the premiere of season 3. However, some of the events directly preceding season 3 were chronicled in the video game 24: The Game, released in March 2006.

[edit] Main cast

This is a list of the main cast for Season 2. See List of characters in 24 for a more thorough list.

Stars

• Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
• Sarah Wynter as Kate Warner
• Elisha Cuthbert as Kim Bauer
• Xander Berkeley as George Mason
• Penny Johnson Jerald as Sherry Palmer
• Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida
• and Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer

Recurring

• Reiko Aylesworth as Michelle Dessler
• Paul Schulze as Ryan Chappelle
• Lourdes Benedicto as Carrie Turner
• Daniel Dae Kim as Tom Baker
• Jude Ciccolella as Chief of Staff Mike Novick
• Michelle Forbes as Lynne Kresge
• Glenn Morshower as Agent Aaron Pierce
• John Terry (actor) as Bob Warner
• Phillip Rhys as Reza Naiyeer
• Laura Harris as Marie Warner
• Francesco Quinn as Syed Ali
• Tobin Bell as Peter Kingsley
• Mia Kirshner as Mandy

Special Appearances

• Sarah Clarke as Nina Myers

[edit] Trivia

• Near the end of this season, Aaron is asked how long he has served in the secret service, and he says that he joined during Reagan's second term, which lasted from 1985 to 1989. It is also stated that he has served for almost 20 years.
• In the second episode of the season, Kate Warner is told to find out any countries that Reza had visited in the past six months, as well as the dates of entry and departure. It can be seen that Kate scribbles '2004' as one of the dates, indicating that this season would take place either in 2004 or 2005.
• The first part of the first episode mentions that it happened in Seoul however it is the skyline of the commercial district of Singapore that was shown.

[edit] Conspiracy Theories About Max

In some circles of 24 fans on the Internet there are theories that all the terrorist plots of the seasons are connected in some way and that Max is behind it all. Some believe that Nina Myers may have been working for him, based on a deleted scene from season 2 in which Nina kisses Max. However, 24: The Game revealed Max's ultimate motivations, as well as his final fate. Some fans came away disappointed, as Max turned out to not be the Blofeld-type figure they believed him to be based on his season 2 appearances. There still remains however a possibility of a Trepkos return, because his involvement has yet to be fully explained.

[edit] List of episodes

#	US Airdate	Prod. Code	Time	Written By	Directed By	Screen Shot
1	October 28, 2002	2AFF01	08:00 a.m. - 09:00 a.m.	Joel Surnow, Michael Loceff	Jon Cassar
President David Palmer and government agencies receive word of a nuclear bomb possibly detonating in Los Angeles that day. The president threatens a middle eastern country accused of harboring the terrorists and their organization, Second Wave. NSA requests that inactive CTU agent, Jack Bauer come in to help CTU follow a lead. Kimberly Bauer is also in trouble with a child abuser.
2	November 5, 2002	2AFF02	09:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.	Joel Surnow, Michael Loceff	Jon Cassar
Kim Bauer and her ward Megan continue to run from the abusive Gary Matheson. Meanwhile, Kate Warner's suspicions about her soon-to-be brother-in-law grow. President David Palmer detains a snooping journalist, and Jack goes deeper undercover with Joseph Wald's gang, and discovers their true agenda: to plant C-4 in CTU.
3	November 12, 2002	2AFF03	10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Howard Gordon	James Whitmore, Jr.
Jack warns Lynne about the impending bombing of CTU, but her efforts to alert Palmer are sabotaged by Eric, who wants to maintain Jack's cover. George locates the warehouse where the nuclear bomb was built, but falls victim to radiation poisoning. Kim takes Megan to CTU, believing that it is the safest place for both of them.
4	November 19, 2002	2AFF04	11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.	Remi Aubuchon	James Whitmore, Jr.
George returns to CTU where he orders the medics to revive a badly injured Paula, who has vital information. Palmer fires Eric for his deception. Kim takes Megan to the hospital, but the staff accuses her of abuse. Jack locates the leader of the American terrorist cell. He learns that the woman who gave them inside information on CTU is Nina Myers.
5	November 26, 2002	2AFF05	12:00 p.m. - 01:00 p.m.	Gil Grant	Jon Cassar
George refuses to allow Jack to assist in Nina's interrogation. Jack resorts to blackmail to change George's mind. Palmer and Stanton meet with a Middle Eastern ambassador who may be in league with Second Wave. Tony visits the Warner home and questions Reza about his possible connection with Syed Ali.
6	December 3, 2002	2AFF06	01:00 p.m. - 02:00 p.m.	Elizabeth M. Cosin	Jon Cassar
Jack begins his interrogation of Nina and pushes all boundaries in order to force her to divulge the name of her contact. Palmer is surprised and suspicious when his ex wife Sherry returns and claims to have information about a conspiracy against him from within his own administration. Kim and Miguel plan to kidnap Megan from the hospital in order to take her out of LA and away from the nuclear threat.
7	December 10, 2002	2AFF07	02:00 p.m. - 03:00 p.m.	Virgil Williams	James Whitmore, Jr.
Jack forces Nina to help with a sting operation against her contact in the hopes that he can lead them to the bomb. Palmer and Mike try to gage Stanton's loyalty when they investigate the chopper crash. George has a final conversation with his son.
8	December 17, 2002	2AFF08	03:00 p.m. - 04:00 p.m.	Joel Surnow, Michael Loceff	James Whitmore, Jr.
Kim and Miguel are arrested and the police plan to take them back to LA. Tony questions Bob Warner at CTU and learns he works for the CIA. Palmer discovers a traitor in his ranks when the journalist whom he was holding is set free. Nina kills her contact, setting herself up as the main player in the search to locate the bomb. Their plane is attacked.
9	January 7, 2003	2AFF09	04:00 p.m. - 05:00 p.m.	Howard Gordon	Rodney Charters
George pits Bob against Reza in hopes of learning which one is working with Second Wave. Sherry and Lynne clash over Palmer's speech to the press. Kate is interrogated by Syed Ali, who believes she knows too much about the bomb. Jack and Nina fight off Coral Snake while waiting to be rescued from the crash site. They nearly escape when Nina takes Jack hostage and demands to speak to the President.
10	January 14, 2003	2AFF10	05:00 p.m. - 06:00 p.m.	David Ehrman	Rodney Charters
Two traitors are uncovered. One is Roger Stanton. The other is the Marie Warner family who helped Syed Ali to bring the bomb into the country. Jack learns of Ali's location and tries to rescue Kate. Kim and Miguel crash their police escort in order to escape from LA.
11	February 4, 2003	2AFF11	06:00 p.m. - 07:00 p.m.	Gil Grant	Frederick K. Keller
Kate helps Jack to locate and identify Syed Ali. Palmer places Stanton under arrest, but he won't break. Palmer utilizes torture to make Stanton talk. Kim hits her low point of the day when she encounters a cougar in the woods.
12	February 11, 2003	2AFF12	07:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m.	Evan Katz	Frederick K. Keller
Jack threatens Syed Ali's family in order to break him. George questions Bob Warner to learn more about Marie's motivations for helping the terrorists. Kim is rescued by a mysterious hunter who offers her asylum. Lynne receives a dire warning from Sherry.
13	February 18, 2003	2AFF13	08:00 p.m. - 09:00 p.m.	Maurice Hurley	Jon Cassar
Jack and his men prepare for a confrontation with Stanton's renegade soldiers as they converge on the bomb. Kim becomes suspicious of her host, but is forced to stay because of her status with the police. Stanton finally breaks down and gives Palmer the location of the bomb.
14	February 25, 2003	2AFF14	09:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.	Joel Surnow, Michael Loceff	Jon Cassar
Jack and Kate try to break Marie's resolve so they can learn the location of the bomb. Palmer confronts his ex wife with the information that Stanton gave them. George finally steps down as director of CTU and hands the position over to Tony. Kim discovers her host's deception.
15	March 4, 2003	2AFF15	10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.	Robert Cochran	Ian Toynton
Palmer, Mike and Lynne discuss various ways to dispose of the ticking bomb. They conclude that the desert is the best place to set it off. Jack determines that one man must pilot the plane carrying the bomb. He chooses to fly the plane himself and bids a tearful goodbye to his daughter. Mason eventually takes over for him. Tony and Michelle become suspicious of a Middle Eastern intelligence agent who is asking questions about the evidence against Syed Ali. Palmer departs for Los Angeles.
16	March 25, 2003	2AFF16	11:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.	Howard Gordon, Evan Katz	Ian Toynton
Jack and Michelle question Syed Ali, who claims that the audio recordings are false. Palmer prepares to wage war against the three countries who were involved in the nuclear strike. Kim gets caught in a hostage situation. Jack is contacted by a man who wants to exchange information for Kate Warner.
17	April 1, 2003	2AFF17	12:00 a.m. - 01:00 a.m.	Evan Katz, Gil Grant	Jon Cassar
Jack meets with the surviving Coral Snake Commando, who demands Kate Warner in exchange for evidence about the recordings. Tony and Carrie spy on Michelle when he suspects that she is working with Jack. Mike and the Vice-President turn up the pressure on Palmer, when he expresses his doubts about the impending war.
18	April 8, 2003	2AFF18	01:00 a.m. - 02:00 a.m.	Joel Surnow, Michael Loceff	Jon Cassar
Jack, Kate and Wallace fight to escape from a deadly band of commandos. Palmer decides to take a stronger stance against the civil unrest resulting from the bomb explosion. Tony's trust in Michelle is broken when he suspects her of betraying him. Kim's worries seem to be over when she learns the charges against her have been dropped.
19	April 15, 2003	2AFF19	02:00 a.m. - 03:00 a.m.	Howard Gordon	James Whitmore, Jr.
Jack is captured and tortured by men who want the chip. Kate and Yusuf run into a group of angry rednecks before they can deliver the chip to CTU. Tony and Michelle share a tender moment after her brother flips out. Palmer leans towards holding off the attacks, while Mike tells Lynne that the Vice-President is planning to use the 25th amendment against Palmer.
20	April 22, 2003	2AFF20	03:00 a.m. - 04:00 a.m.	Neil Cohen	James Whitmore, Jr.
Jack finds an ally who may help him escape from Kingsley's men. Lynne is forcibly held before she can warn Palmer of the conspiracy against him. Chappelle interferes with Tony's efforts to assist Jack. Kate offers her captors money in exchange for the chip.
21	April 29, 2003	2AFF21	04:00 a.m. - 05:00 a.m.	Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon	Ian Toynton
The cabinet debates invoking the 25th Amendment to remove David Palmer from office. Jack Bauer finally gets a hold of the chip, but has been damaged. When Jack follows up on his next lead, he discovers Sherry Palmer is involved in the threat.
22	May 6, 2003	2AFF22	05:00 a.m. - 06:00 a.m.	Virgil Williams, Duppy Demetrius	Ian Toynton
Jack locates the man who forged the audio evidence, but his efforts to break him down are sabotaged by Sherry Palmer. Kim returns to the Matheson home, where she encounters Gary. Palmer searches for an ally who will help him get a message out to CTU. Tony and Michelle take Chappelle out of action when he hinders their efforts to help Jack.
23	May 13, 2003	2AFF23	06:00 a.m. - 07:00 a.m.	Gil Grant, Evan Katz	Jon Cassar
When Jack hits a dead end with his lead, he realizes he must persuade Sherry to help him get evidence against Kingsley. Things go awry at CTU when Division becomes suspicious of Chappelle's absence. Michelle goes off-site to work with Jack. Mike and Prescott ask Palmer to aid them as the bombers get closer to their targets.
24	May 20, 2003	2AFF24	07:00 a.m. - 08:00 a.m.	Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon	Jon Cassar
Jack uses Sherry to lure Kingsley out into the open, where he reveals the recording is false. Palmer's attorney convinces Mike to release Palmer from custody. Palmer and his cabinet gather to watch as Sherry meets with Kingsley. Mike orders Chappelle to reinstate Tony and Michelle. Jack sends Sherry in for the meeting with Kingsley, who is killed. There is an assassination attempt on Palmer.

[edit] External links

• TV.com: 24 Season 2 Episode Guide